In New York, Fieri's on fire

| May 27, 2006

How has life changed for Guy Fieri?

Two weeks in New York offered a clue:

At Yankee Stadium: On a rare day off during 10 days of taping his new show, "Guy's Big Bites" in New York, Fieri took in his first Yankees game and was approached by an admiring young couple at the stadium.

When the woman gushed about what a huge fan her mother was and retrieved her cell phone to take a picture, Fieri had her call her mom, then grabbed the phone himself.

"Hi! This is Guy Fieri from 'The Next Food Network Star,'" he said, hearing screams on the other end.

"I don't see myself being that special," Fieri said as he relayed the tale. "But to have that opportunity to make somebody's day? God, it would be my honor."

In Times Square: "Hey, you know that 'Food Network' guy, that guy from California?" says Fieri, imitating the words of a New York police officer he overheard calling a fellow officer.

One of New York's finest was alerting others to the celebrity sighting - the sighting of Fieri in Times Square.

Fieri himself had been crossing a street with a buddy enroute to dinner one night last week when they decided to snap photos in front of a huge billboard of Fieri above the famed intersection, drawing the officer's attention.

Next thing he knows, Fieri's got his arms around both officers, posing for photos.

Fieri received the station insignia from one of the officer's uniform collars in thanks.

At the studio: During marathon days of learning the ins and outs of taping a show, Fieri took breaks around his 9-year-old son Hunter's schedule so they could talk by phone each day. Hunter had "an open door to call," as well.

"I was in the middle of a shoot, and there was something going on with Hunter at school. Stop the shoot; take the call," Fieri recalled, his expression saying "no brainer."

"I wouldn't stop the shoot for every little thing, but what are we working for? We're working for the family. We're working for the kids."